Apple: Carrier IQ still on iPhone 4, but we don’t read your e-mail and texts

User tracking software known as Carrier IQ was stripped out of iOS 5 for all …

Apple is circulating a new statement to media outlets that seems to put to rest any fears about software tracking in the iPhone and iPad. "We stopped supporting Carrier IQ [a piece of software that tracks user activity] with iOS 5 in most of our products, and we're going to remove it completely in a future software update," the Apple statement says.

But we were a bit curious about what "most of our products" means in that context. In response to our question, Apple tells us there is only one device running iOS 5 that still runs Carrier IQ, and it's the iPhone 4. Other devices running iOS 5, such as the iPad, the new iPhone 4S, and older iPhone models updated to iOS 5 have had Carrier IQ stripped out. But Apple says it has never used Carrier IQ to record keystrokes or personal messages.

Carrier IQ software is installed on smartphones to collect information, supposedly to help networks improve service. But the software has caused an uproar since research apparently showing that Carrier IQ can collect a variety of personal information and transmit it to phone providers. US Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) today demanded answers from Carrier IQ regarding whether the company is collecting and transmitting information including numbers dialed, the contents of text messages and e-mails, URLs of websites visited, search query histories, contact information from address books, and keystroke data.

The full extent of how Carrier IQ is used on smartphones remains unclear, but Apple says it has not used the software to collection personal information.

"It was just for diagnostic data that was sent to Apple, and customers had to actively opt in to that to even provide us that level of information," Apple tells us. "If they opted in, that data was sent anonymously, and in encrypted fashion. We did not record keystrokes, messages or any personal information for the diagnostic data, and we have no plans to in the future."

We haven't been able to learn why Carrier IQ still remains in the iPhone 4, even those updated to iOS 5. But Apple promises it will be stripped out of all devices including the iPhone 4 in a future update.

We also wonder if and how Carrier IQ is still being used on iOS devices that haven't been updated to iOS 5, and we asked Apple if it is continuing to use any other software that would be similar to Carrier IQ. We''ll update this post if we hear anything on those questions.

In the meantime, iPhone and iPad users can click Settings, General, About, and then scroll down to Diagnostics & Usage to check that they're not sending data to Apple. By default, the option should be turned off (or, at least, it was for us).